Research indicated that the workforce would require significant upskilling and reskilling over the next several years for organizations and their people to remain competitive in changing markets. This qualitative case study explored how human resources development (HRD), a mechanism leveraged to develop an organization's human capital through…

Interpersonal skills, which are variously called soft skills, employability skills, people skills, and noncognitive skills, are critically important in personal, academic, and workplace settings. This descriptive case study explored how individuals from underserved communities described the use of reflective learning journals in an interpersonal…

The problem to be addressed in this study was most special education high school teachers are not adequately teaching job transferable skills to students with intellectual disabilities in American. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate the beliefs of special education high school teachers within a rural Colorado school…

This study aimed to identify if Central Ohio employers closed the middle-skill gap by investing in training. Middle-skill jobs are those that require at least one of the following: a month of On-the-Job training, previous work experience in a related occupation, an apprenticeship, a certification, and some college but not a 4-year degree (Young…

Development and Training are issues of great importance in industry--including: production, healthcare and service--today as US organizations alone spend $126 billion annually on employee training and development. In particular; many industries that experience growing skill gaps in their employees are looking into how to develop skills internally.…

The United States is currently experiencing a decline of skilled talent in the workforce, with healthcare occupations suffering the most due to a loss in workforce talent and the onset of an aging population. This talent shortage is attributed to a "skills gap." The current case study used qualitative methodology to examine the expansion…

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a history of being isolated, marginalized, and excluded from employment that is competitive and integrated. Policy makers, disability advocates, and self-advocates have made efforts to center inclusive education and employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual…

This executive position paper proposed the implementation of a statewide exceptionalities coordinator certification program to improve the skillsets of current Special Education Coordinators and Educational Diagnosticians and better prepare those interested in entering the role. Surveys regarding skills needed by Special Education Coordinators and…

In Mississippi, 57% of job vacancies through 2022 will be middle-skill jobs, but only an estimated 50% of the state's workers will be trained to fill these jobs. The ACT WorkKeys assessment is the primary credentialing tool for high school students entering the middle-skill labor force. The problem addressed in this study is while Mississippi uses…

Access to employment is important for students with disabilities (SWD). Employment improves finances, contributes to independence, and empowers people. Despite the value of employment, SWD are less likely to be employed due in part to their lack of job readiness. This study discusses the implementation of job training programs for SWD. The impact…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of transition specialists on effective teaching techniques for developing work-readiness and self-determination skills for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) participating in a post-secondary transition program. For this study the theoretical framework…

A skill gap in Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments (PS-TRE) between U.S. Baby Boomers and younger generations has been documented in previous studies using the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Survey of Adult Skills (Rampey et al., 2016). Bringing this generation of workers up to speed in this…

Virtual Reality and education have been evolving for many years, moving from in-person classroom and online sessions to utilizing Virtual reality for training. Virtual reality allows students to actively engage with training rather than being passive in a classroom. The virtual world has been moving forward as a new tool to assist with…

In many areas, the number of people transitioning to retirement is starting to outnumber the number of young people negotiating their way into the labor market. To sustain economic prosperity, these regions need to prolong the working lives of older workers. Maintaining older workers' earning power and employment until and past the traditional…

As life expectancy rates continue to rise, so does the need for continued participation in the workforce. Economic sustainability and aging in place become values anticipated and realized through longer life spans. The ability to maintain lifestyle is severely halted when individuals are faced with loss of employment. This qualitative case study…